A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE House.' Allusion has already been made to the Abbey Brewery, which was formerly carried on by the Spenlove family and pre- vious to them by the Child family. The old abbey buildings were used for the business. The Belcher family formerly held the Eagle Brewery, which is now the headquarters of the present firm of Morland & Co. Most of the buildings are old, and include the quaint early eighteenth century malthouse, as well as the new malthouse erected in 1904. About 100 men are employed. At Aldermaston there is an old-established brewery which was founded in 1770. It was purchased by the late Thomas Strange in 1833 and is now carried on by his grandson, John Thomas Strange. The brewery covers a large amount of land. It has its own artesian well, 160 ft. deep, which supplies water of great purity taken from the chalk. The machinery is worked by water power derived from the Kennet and Avon Canal. A staff of about thirty men is employed. Reading has several large and important breweries. Messrs. H. & G. Simonds, Limi- ted, are the proprietors of ' The Brewery,' Reading. It was founded at the corner of Broad Street during the latter part of the eighteenth century by Mr. William Blackall Simonds, the ancestor of the present directors. The premises being found too small in 1790 the brewery was transferred to its present site in Bridge Street on the west bank of the river Kennet, where Mr. Simonds erected a twenty- five-quarter plant, together with malthouses and stabling sufficient for his requirements. The business developed slowly until the time of the son of the founder, Mr. Blackall Simonds, a famous sportsman, who antici- pating the passing of the Duke of Wellington's Beerhouse Act bought up suitable land in the neighbourhood for erecting public-houses, and when the Act was passed built the beer- houses, and greatly developed the trade. He took into partnership his brothers Henry and George, and their descendants are the directors of the present firm which in 1885 was converted into a private limited company. The premises cover seven acres, and over 200 workmen are employed in addition to a staff of clerks, travellers, etc. The firm has a considerable military trade, and established depdts at Malta and Gibraltar, and eleven branch houses in this country. The Royal Albert Brewery is an old- established firm, the property of Messrs. James Dymon Brown & Son, Limited. It was founded nearly 100 years ago by the grandfather of the present senior partner of the firm. They have a thirty-quarter plant, and the buildings are constructed on modern principles. Another important firm is that of Messrs. Blandy & Hawkins, who own the Castle Brewery in Bridge Street. This brewery was established at the beginning of the eighteenth century. John Mills owned the property in 1698, but it is not known whether he was a brewer. Robert Noakes was estab- lished as a brewer in 1720. The Dean family held it from 1754 to 1773. The Tanners, Harmans, Rickmans and Rickfords were some of the owners. In 1847 the firm was Rickford & Hawkins, and 1856 Blandy & Hawkins. In 1888 a large part of the brewery was burnt, and replaced with modern plant. The old stone houses still remain, and also part of the old brewery with the old-fashioned horse wheel. The amalgamation in 1856 of the ' Mill Lane ' and ' Castle ' Breweries led to the partnership of Messrs. Blandy & Hawkins. The Mill Lane Brewery was bought in 1831 by Messrs. Willots and John William Stevens, and then passed into the possession of Mr. William and Charles Blandy, until 1856, when part of the brewery was demolished. The private house still stands as the clothing factory of Thomas Cooke & Sons, and the malt- house is still used by the present firm. Messrs. Ferguson & Sons have a brewery in Broad Street. There are several other breweries in the town of Reading, which maintain the reputation of Reading ales. A hundred years ago the trade in Reading was consider- able. There were at that period five brew- eries in the town. Messrs. Stephens was then the principal firm. It produced 25,000 barrels of beer and porter annually, and Dr. Mavor states that the other breweries were likewise very considerable, and that large quantities of malt were made there for the London market, 10,000 quarters being sent annually to London. At Maidenhead there are two breweries of note, Messrs. Fuller Story & Co., Limited, who own the Bell Brewery, and Messrs. Nicholson & Sons, Limited, in High Street. The South Berks Brewery Co. is carried on by Messrs. Hawkins & Parfitt at Newbury and Hungerford, and at the former town the Newbury Brewery Co., Limited, thrives, and at the latter the Crown Brewery is con- ducted by Mr. Thomas Crook. Nor is this industry confined to the prin- cipal towns. Brewing may be said to be a village industry, and quite small places can boast of their breweries. The following are the chief : at Harwell there is the brewery of Mr. W. H. Beesley; at Theale, Blatch's brewery ; at Ashbury, Mr. T. J. Carter's brewery ; at Waltham St. Lawrence, near 410
